Mesoporous silica nanomaterials find use in a variety of applications such as catalysis, separations, drug delivery, and gas adsorption wherein a large pore volume is advantageous. The pores in these materials are formed based on a surfactant template assembled ahead of silica condensation. The highest pore volumes achieved to date have been synthesized by incorporating pore swelling agents such as decane or N,N-dimethylhexadecylamine (DMHA) with the standard cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant.
Although metal organic frameworks (MOFs) demonstrate the highest reported pore volumes and surface areas to date, they suffer from thermal and hydrothermal instability. In contrast, ceramic materials are particularly well suited for harsh conditions such as high temperature or corrosive environments but have not attained the strikingly high pore volumes and surface areas of MOFs.
The need remains for materials with high pore volumes that are well suited for harsh conditions such as high temperature or corrosive environments.